NBA 2K League announces lineup of entertainment at THE TIPOFF powered by At&T

NEW YORK – The NBA 2K League will celebrate THE TIPOFF powered by AT&T and the start of the league’s second season with the Knicks Gaming Championship Ring Ceremony, a live music performance by New York-based rock band X Ambassadors, as well as guest commentary by Ronnie 2K and comedian Sarah Tiana during the live Twitch broadcast.

Throughout the tournament, which begins tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET and runs through Saturday, April 6, 52 rookies and the league’s four new teams – Hawks Talon GC, Lakers Gaming, NetsGC and T-Wolves Gaming – will make their debuts.  The tournament will culminate on April 6 with the final eight teams competing for THE TIPOFF title, a share of the $120,000 prize pool, and the first of three trophies that comprise THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T.

All games and celebrations during THE TIPOFF will take place from the NBA 2K League Studio Powered by Intel in Long Island City, New York, and will be livestreamed on the league’s Twitch channel.  Fans can register to attend THE TIPOFF by visiting NBA2KLeague.com.

Tuesday, April 2:
NBA 2K Director of Influencer Marketing Ronnie Singh, also known as Ronnie 2K, will provide guest commentary on the live Twitch broadcast alongside Phil Visu.

At approximately 7:45 p.m. ET, 2018 NBA 2K League Champions Knicks Gaming will be awarded customized championship rings supplied by Baron Rings prior to their opening game.  NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue will present each of the six players from Knicks Gaming’s 2018 championship roster with a ring to commemorate their historical victory.  New for 2019, the NBA 2K League has partnered with Baron Rings to serve as the Official Ring Supplier of the NBA 2K League.  As a manufacturer of custom championship rings, Baron Rings has produced championship rings for over 10,000 teams worldwide in all levels of sport over the past 25 years.  For more information on Baron Rings, visit baronrings.com.

Featured Game: Following the ring ceremony, at 8 p.m. ET Knicks Gaming will begin its title defense when the team hosts NetsGC, led by 2018 NBA 2K League Finals MVP and former Knicks Gaming player Nate Kahl, in their first-ever NBA 2K League game.

Wednesday, April 3:
The NBA 2K League and X Ambassadors have partnered to create a launch campaign for the start of the league’s second season using the band’s new single, “BOOM.”

As part of the campaign, X Ambassadors will perform “BOOM” live for the studio audience and fans watching on Twitch starting at 4:45 p.m. ET.  In March, the NBA 2K League launched a promotional video featuring the “BOOM” music video and game highlights from the league’s inaugural season.  The bespoke video will be used in promotional materials during the season launch.  The video is available to view on the NBA 2K League YouTube Channel.

“BOOM” debuted in January 2019 and was also selected for NBA primetime games on ABC.  For more information on X Ambassadors, visit their website at www.xambassadors.com.

Featured Game: Following the concert, the night’s on-court action will feature Brandon “Hood” Caicedo and T-Wolves Gaming making their franchise debut as they take on Mehyar “AuthenticAfrican” Ahmed-Hassan and Grizz Gaming at 5 p.m. ET.

Thursday, April 4:

Featured Games: Game action tips off with Warriors Gaming Squad visiting 2018 NBA 2K League Finals MVP Finalist Ramo “Ramo” Radoncic and Pacers Gaming at 5 p.m. ET.  Connor “Dat Boy Shotz” Rodrigues and Hawks Talon GC will then make their franchise debut when they take on Pacers Gaming at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Mitchell “Mootyy” Franklin and Lakers Gaming making their franchise debut against Albano “oFab” Thomallari and Celtics Crossover Gaming at 9 p.m. ET.

Friday, April 5:
Comedian Sarah Tiana, a regular on Comedy Central, Yahoo! Sports’ Props and Riggle’s Picks Podcast, as well as a writer for the ESPYS and NFL Honors, will provide guest commentary on the live Twitch broadcast alongside Phil Visu.  Tiana is performing at the famous Carolines on Broadway comedy club in New York this week.

Featured Games: Spencer “Ria” Wyman, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft, will make his NBA 2K League debut with Jazz Gaming when they host Bucks Gaming at 9 p.m. ET.  To conclude the action, Jazz Gaming will visit Blazer5 Gaming and 2018 NBA 2K League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Dayne “OneWildWalnut” Downey at 10 p.m. ET.

Saturday, April 6:

The trophy ceremony for THE TIPOFF will take place at the conclusion of Saturday’s games, at approximately 10 p.m. ET, and will be livestreamed on Twitch. The winning team will be awarded THE TIPOFF trophy as they move one step closer to completing THE BANNER CHAIN Powered by AT&T.

For more information, fans can follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague), Facebook (NBA 2K League), YouTube (NBA 2K League) and visit NBA2KLeague.com.